30+ Most Likeable Movie Villains That We Hate to Love
Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren is the most emo baddie of them all. Imagine Darth Vader if he grew up with the teenage angst of listening to Billie Eilish. Adam Driver expertly portrays the torn Sith Lord as a petulant, moody child with a demonic temper. Ben Skywalker is emotional, insecure, and unhinged.
Plus he’s so worried he won’t measure up to his evil grandpa that he has anxiety issues. However, his whiny, sullen nature makes him prone to unpredictable, violent outbursts. The things that make us hate Kylo are the same reasons we love him.
Norman Bates
The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s shocking masterpiece Psycho (1960), changed horror forever. Boogeyman Norman Bates is one of movie history’s most compelling slashers. Anthony Perkins’ friendly boy-next-door smile, quick wit, amity, and hospitality disarm and win over the audience.
Then, quite suddenly, he transforms into a psychopath who takes Marion Crane’s life in that infamous, shocking shower scene. Even after Hitchcock reveals Norman has been bumping off Bates Motel tenants, you still hope the kind-hearted, charming Bates escapes the ghost of his late mother to find peace.
Cruella De Vil
A play on the words cruel and devil, Cruella de Vil is the monstrous anti-heroine who dognaps 15 puppies to make a fur coat in 101 Dalmatians. The erratic, eccentric, snooty, selfish, fashion-obsessed British heiress first appeared in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel and became a household name in Disney’s beloved 1961 animation.
Glenn Close played her in the live-action remake. The world’s cruelest woman even got a prequel in the underrated Cruella (2021), where she was wonderfully portrayed by Emma Stone.
Detective Alonzo Harris
When Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) meets rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) in 2001’s stunning Training Day, he starts off funny, streetwise, enigmatic, and harsh but fair. But Alonzo’s no-nonsense moral code soon slides into rule-breaking, corruption, lust, full-blown megalomania, and paranoia.
A large part of the crooked cop’s allure is Denzel’s Oscar-winning performance, along with David Ayer’s excellent script and Antoine Fuqua’s assured direction. But we love Detective Alonzo Harris because we’d like to walk the streets of LA in his shoes – even just for one day.
Welcome to our list of the most likeable movie villains that we hate to love. From classic, well-known baddies like The Wicked Witch of the West, Loki, Hannibal Lecter, and The Joker to some you may have forgotten about. We’ve even listed one or two you may not know. Join us as we discover what makes our rogues’ gallery of favorite movie bad guys and villainesses tick, and try to uncover why we’re so drawn to them…